The facelifted Ford Mustang had a somewhat awkward debut when a leaked promotional video forced Ford to pull the covers off the updated pony car a little earlier than expected. That may have pushed the timetable forward a bit, but probably not much. Just a few days after the coupe made its unexpected debut, Ford has taken the liberty of announcing the facelifted convertible version that comes with all of the bells and whistles found in the new coupe, but with unlimited headroom and an overwhelming desire to hit the open road feel the breeze in your hair. Like the coupe, the 3.7-liter V-6 is a thing of the past so, when it hits dealers this fall, you’ve got a big choice to make – succumb to having a four-cylinder muscle car or with the 5.0-liter V-8.

Speaking of the engines, the convertible gets the same drivetrain upgrades as the coupe, which means that little EcoBoost should see an increase in torque, while you should find that the V-8 offers a little more bang for your buck. So far, Ford has kept official specs of the updated engines under wraps, but I suspect the 2.3-liter will see a 20 to 30 pound-foot increase in the Torque Department while the 5.0-liter could be raised to as much as 450 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. The latter of which would make for a 15 horsepower and 20 pound-foot increase over the pre-facelifted model.

As far as the body goes, it also gets all of the same updates that are found in the coupe, which means it has more muscular rear haunches, new LED headlamps, a redesigned front fascia, and a slightly redesigned grille. The biggest changes come in the form of exterior lighting with LED lighting up front, redesigned taillights, and redesigned taillights. The EcoBoost models should see the same dual-exhaust outlets while the GT will get a more aggressive quad outlet setup. Both models get a new rear diffuser that helps them look a little better from behind. Three new paint colors will be available for the exterior to go with 12 different wheel options.

Inside, the updated Mustang is brought into the modern ages with a 12-inch digital instrument cluster that is customizable based on your personal preferences. There’s the addition of something called MyMode that remembers your specific driving preferences when you enter the car, and the addition of Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection – a feature that should make Cars and Coffee meets a little safer for everybody, don’t you think?

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Why it matters

The updated Mustang doesn’t hit showrooms until later this fall and will be making appearances at a number of auto shows between now and then. So, we’ll definitely get a much better look at it over the next few months, but hopefully, we’ll also get word on just what kind of upgrades Ford made to the two remaining engines and what their actual performance figures are. Either way, the facelifted Stang will be able to compete better with its main competitors, the Chevy Camaro and the Dodge Challenger. What do you think of the facelifted convertible? Let us know in the comments section below.

Current Mustang Specs

Read our full review on the 2018 Ford Mustang coupe here.